Everything You Want
by Sirea the Beautiful Disaster
Summary: [CH. 5 UP: FINALLY!] One year after Vegnagun, Yuna's still having a hard time getting over the man she lost. But love can often be found again in the least likely of places. [Yunalai]
1. Prologue

_**A/N: **I do not own Final Fantasy X-2 (well, actually I do, but you know what I mean). Also, this should go without saying, but this fic will contain spoilers for both FFX and FFX-2. Enjoy the story, and reviews and constructive criticism are welcome and encouraged!_

**Everything You Want**

**By: Sirea**

**Prologue**

The Farplane Glen stretched before them, the last leg in their long journey home from the depths of the abyss. The three women started across the ethereal plain towards the teleporter that would bring them to the surface. Vegnagun was defeated. The lovers, Shuyin and Lenne, had been reunited, destined to spend the rest of their days on the Farplane together. Most important, they were all safe, alive and well; no sacrifices had to be made this time for victory.

First, there was solemn Paine, in her black leather and silver studs, inwardly happy about rescuing her three lost friends, but showing no indication of joy on the outside. Instead, she was thinking about one man in particular; Nooj. There had been something between them all those years ago, something that only the sphere recorder had picked up traces of. She had to be sure that it was still there. With new resolve in her step, she journeyed onward through the field of wildflowers.

Then there was spastic Rikku, walking beside Paine as if there were springs in her shoes, her fingertips lightly grazing the tops of the flowers they walked through. They were going home! Then she would have her chance to tell Gippal how she really felt; she never had the chance three years ago, when he up and left to join the Crimson Squad. But all the old feelings resurfaced when they went to Djose temple to sign up for the dig. Rikku smiled. He hadn't changed a bit.

Finally, there was Yuna, walking several yards behind her two comrades. She was also thinking of a man, a man that she had not seen in two years time. The man that had started her journey as a sphere hunter, searching for any trace of him she could find. And now, after this long and trying journey, there was still no sign of him. Was it all for nothing? Was all lost? Yuna's head snapped up when she heard a familiar whistle echoing through the wind.

It can't be... She looked at her friends; they kept walking, having not heard a thing. Another whistle. Yuna spun around, looking for the source of the whistle. Scanning the glen, and the cliffs high above, she saw nothing. A pyrefly floated past her, then another. She turned her head slightly, not daring to look behind her. The pyreflies swarmed around her, until a transparent, but familiar set of arms wrapped around her shoulders from behind. Yuna smiled; he had come to see her after all, but it was not to last. Choosing her words carefully, she began to speak the last sentences she ever would to the man she loved.

"It's you." Yuna paused, as if waiting for a reply. "You were with me the whole time. I kept thinking you might be. Kept hoping. But you know, I'm not worried anymore."

She fought the tears she felt stinging at her eyes. She couldn't cry, she had to be strong for him. Show him that she was going to be all right without him. "You will always have a place...here in my heart. We will always be connected."

As the pyreflies began to disperse, the arms holding her slowly disappeared, until he was gone. She stood in her place for a few moments more, securing an image of the blonde-haired man in her mind to keep forever. That was all she would have from now on, was her memories.

"I love you."


	2. Chapter One

A/N: Edited to add English text to all the Al Bhed sentences, per request of reviewers. Also made some other edits, mainly extending the conversation between Gippal and Rikku.

Everything You Want

By: Sirea

Chapter One

The sun rose over the Djose highroad, light creeping slowly back into the corners and crevices of the jagged rocks. Nocturnal creatures scurried to their holes and burrows within the cliff wall, hiding from the warm rays as if it were the plague. An Al Bhed man began lifting the tarps off his hovers for another day of ferrying tourists and potential diggers alike back and forth down the road, which ran a good three miles down to Mushroom Rock. The sun continued it's daily journey towards Djose temple, Machine Faction headquarters. Excavators, eager for more treasure hunting in the Bikanel desert, and engineers, their minds filled with machina specifications and blueprints, began to stir inside their tents scattered about the large lot, surrounding the lightning aeon's former home with small white triangles.

A tall, young Al Bhed with spiked blonde hair and an eye patch could be seen emerging from the temple. He stretched his arms high above his head, which was much easier to do today since he had decided to abandon the large shoulder plate he usually wore. A sigh escaped Gippal's lips as he prepared for another day of work. He nodded to various people as he walked though the encampment, making his way over to the small hut off to the side of the yard. Things sure had changed around here in the last year. He squinted his green swirl eyes as he looked eastward at the sunrise; sporadic clouds scattered over an orange and purple sky.

__

Oib, yhudran fuhtanvim tyo uv fung (Yup, another wonderful day of work), Gippal thought in his native language, slipping on his fingerless gloves as he entered the shed containing piles of machina parts awaiting his careful inspection.

The sun was high overhead by the time a bubbly blonde Al Bhed girl, about 19 years old, bounded energetically out of Djose Temple. Rikku, in her normal outfit consisting of khaki shorts over a yellow bikini, blue and white cowboy-style boots, white arm-sleeves and a long red scarf wrapped around her neck, scanned the front lot for her boyfriend. She strode up to one of the men standing guard at the front door, her hands on her hips.

"Frana'c Gippal? Frana ec dryd bydradel aqlica uv y puovneaht?" ("Where's Gippal? Where is that pathetic excuse of a boyfriend?") She demanded.

The guard raised his eyebrow. Gippal and Rikku had obviously fought about something last night. Unsure of whether he was getting his boss in trouble or not, he motioned toward the small building to the left.

"Ujan drana, ehcbaldehk byndc pnuikrd pylg vnus Bikanel." ("Over there, inspecting parts brought back from Bikanel") He answered. Without so much as a 'thank you', Rikku stormed over to the tiny hut. Bursting in the door, she could see her significant other in the very back, turning a machina part over in his hands, and getting quite greasy in the process. She quickly noticed Brother and Buddy too, as well as Shinra, who was tapping on a computer nearby. Brother stood, expectant, while Buddy crossed his arms over his broad chest, a knowing look on his dark face.

"Ed'c hu kuut," ("It's no good") Shinra concluded from his analysis of the machina.

"Aqyldmo, ed'c lnyb. Caneuicmo, E renat oui kioc drehgehk oui ghaf cusadrehk ypuid aqlyjydeuh, zitkehk vnus dryd ujanknufh rujan byngat uidceta," ("Exactly, it's crap. Seriously, I hired you guys thinking you knew something about excavation, judging from that overgrown hover parked outside.") Gippal gestured toward the fire-engine red airship stationed outside, the Celsius, which was now used mainly to transport diggers and parts from the Bikanel desert.

"Pid-" ("But-") Brother started.

"E tuh'd fyhd du rayn ed! Uha suna suja mega drec yht oui'na venat." ("I don't want to hear it! One more move like this and you're fired.") Gippal threw the useless part on the ground, bits of metal flying up from the wreck. Without so much as a frustrated grunt, Brother walked briskly towards the door, his face scrunched up and his hands clenched into two fists at his sides. Buddy followed, a little smirk playing across his lips.

"E dumt oui ra fuimth'd dyga dryd clnyb uv sadym. Pid hu..." ("I told you he wouldn't take that scrap of metal. But no...")

"Crid ib!" ("Shut up!")

With her bothersome sibling out of the way, Rikku snickered. "You know you can't fire him. You need the Celsius."

"I know," Gippal replied, sorting through a new box of attack assemblies. "It's just fun to see him squirm."

After a moment of rare silence between the two, Rikku proceeded to pick a major bone with Gippal. "Why can't we go see Yunie? You are such a party pooper!"

"Hey, I do have a job around here, you know. I can't just abandon my responsibilities." He lifted another box of machina parts and set them down next to Shinra. "I'm gonna need these analyzed too."

"I'm on it."

"That's a sorry excuse to not go visit someone who made sure you could go on playing with your precious machina," Rikku retorted, kicking the box full of machines.

Gippal set the gears he had been inspecting down on the counter, and looked at Rikku lovingly. "Aw, honey, oui'na cu lida frah oui'na syt," ("Aw, honey, you're so cute when you're mad.") he teased.

"You can't charm your way out of this one, buster!" She jumped up and down, frustrated, the braids in her haphazard hair style following her movements. "Now give me a GOOD reason why we can't go. We haven't seen her in almost a year!"

Gippal sighed. "If we go visit Yuna, will you stop making me feel like crap? Three days of listening to you nag is long enough."

Rikku squealed in delight. "You really mean it? We can go to Besaid?"

"Yes, we can go to Besaid," he responded, imitating her in a high-pitched sing song voice. His tone then softened as he looked down at her. "I'll find someone to leave in charge, and we can leave tomorrow."

Absolutely forgetting that she was mad at him, Rikku threw her arms around her boyfriend's shoulders, no easy task considering he was a little more than a foot taller than she was. "Ooh, you're the best boyfriend ever! I've got to go call the others!" She bounced out of the hut, leaving Gippal somewhat confused.

"Others? Oh, no. Rikku, don't go bothering Nooj and Baralai!" he called after her. But it was too late, she had already run back into the temple to contact their friends.

Gippal groaned. "Shinra, damm sa ykyeh fro oui syta ymm uv ic bancuhym commspheres? Fyc ed du tneja sa ehcyha?" ("Shinra, tell me again why you made all of us personal commspheres? Was it to drive me insane?")

Shinra shrugged. "E's zicd y get. Tuh'd pmysa sa." ("I'm just a kid. Don't blame me.")


	3. Chapter Two

A/N: Yes, so after a long hiatus and some musical motivation, I kicked my butt into gear and started writing again (thanks also to **corrupt innocence **for motivating me). This story will be my top priority from now until I'm finished with it. And I do plan on writing more Yunalai after (or during) this, so Tidus fans, eat your hearts out ;)

A little Paine/Nooj in this chapter for all the fans out there, and finally, the moment you've all been waiting for, Baralai! After much editing, I still don't think this chapter is quite ready for publishing. But I'm already past my deadline and I didn't want to keep people waiting any longer. Enjoy!

Everything You Want

By: Sirea

Chapter Two

"That will be all, Lucil." Nooj nodded, concluded the briefing with his commander.

"Yes sir." The red-haired woman saluted the Mevyn, then left the balcony to pass the orders on to her men.

Paine stepped out onto the balcony, passing Lucil, who respectfully bowed her head to the woman in black. Paine raised her gloved hand in a slight wave; with the commander gone she directed her attention to her companion, leaned against the railing of the overlook. A short while ago, he might have considered jumping to the jagged rocks below. But the promise of a new Spira, and his renewed friendship with Gippal and Baralai, his Crimson Squad comrades, had given him a new lease on life. She glanced at the cane leaned against the wall by the door; it was almost as if he didn't mind the machina fused with his body anymore. Paine approached Nooj, examining his face for a few moments. He was only twenty-two, but the stress lines on his face, not to mention his glasses, added at least ten years to his appearance.

"You look tense." Her simple words rang true with the longhaired man, who let out a deep sigh.

"I never quite imagined myself a police chief." Nooj gazed out over the vast sea, the bright sun overhead glinting off the gentle waves. To think that water so serene was the site of a dreaded and ill-fated battle just three short years ago. His machina hand clenched slightly, remembering that day.

"Keeping Spira at peace is necessary." Paine leaned her elbows on the railing. "It gives the men a purpose, something to be proud of. They feel they are contributing to Spira's future, you should feel the same way."

Nooj hung his head, his good hand clutching the metal barrier. "I suppose so. And being under my own jurisdiction means I don't have to answer to anybody." Paine smiled slightly; she knew it would have driven Nooj crazy if he had been someone's subordinate, although he did keep correspondence with Baralai to determine where he needed to send his men.

The sound of footsteps on the balcony made Paine and Nooj both turn around abruptly. Elma had emerged from the conference room, giving them both a quick salute. Two pairs of eyes fell on her, looking both curious and a little irritated at this interruption of their solitude. Elma's voice faltered somewhat under the scrutiny of their collective stares.

"Uh, excuse me for interrupting Mevyn, but, um, your commsphere's been beeping incessantly for the last ten minutes." She finally managed to spit out the sentence while retaining most of her composure.

Nooj's gaze softened upon hearing this, concluding to himself that this was a good reason for the interruption. "All right Elma, we'll be right there."

As Nooj dismissed the brown-haired woman, Paine furrowed her brow in thought. "I wonder who could be calling...?" She wondered out loud.

Nooj shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

They both went back inside the tent. Indeed, they heard the commsphere hailing them before they even reached their private quarters. Entering the room, Paine hit the small "answer" button roughly, finally cutting off the annoying sound in mid-beep. The small dome was filled with static for a quick moment, then a familiar blonde could soon be seen on the small screen.

"Hiya Paine!" Rikku called out, waving her hand above her head excitedly.

Paine sighed; her Al Bhed counterpart's antics never ceased to annoy her. "Why, hello Rikku," she answered dryly. "What can we do for you?"

"Aww, Painey, cheer up!" Rikku ignored the visible cringe from Paine at being called by that dreaded nickname. "Is Noojie there too? I have great news!"

Nooj echoed his partner's cringe as he heard his "name" shouted over the commsphere, silently hoping no one on the other side of the door was eavesdropping. That's all he needed were all his men snickering and calling him "Noojie" behind his back, it was bad enough LeBlanc used to call him that. Finally, he wordlessly stepped within view of the commsphere.

"Woo hoo! Hi Nooji- err, I mean Nooj..." Rikku had forgotten how intimidating the tall man looked until she had him looking up at her sternly from the blue dome. She cleared her throat, a nervous giggle escaping her lips.

"So, what's the 'good news'?" Paine reminded the embarrassed blonde.

"Err, oh yeah! We, that is me and Gippal, are going to Besaid to visit Yunie! We want you to come too!"

Paine and Nooj gave each other sideways glances. They were both pretty sure this was mostly Rikku's idea, despite the 'we' she kept referring to.

"Well, what do you think? We haven't seen Yuna in quite some time..." Paine trailed off. Secretly she did want to see how the third part of their old trio was holding up on her own.

Nooj glanced again at the commsphere, where an excited Rikku bounced on the balls of her feet. "And I feel like it's my duty as a friend and as a man to go and keep Gippal sane," he replied with a slight smirk.

"So that's a yes?"

Paine gave one last look at her significant other before directing her answer to the blonde in the commsphere. "Yes, Rikku, we'll go with you to see Yuna."

Paine and Nooj both shuddered at the high-pitched squeal that followed. "Oh, goodie! Now I just have to call Baralai. We'll be there at noon tomorrow!" Rikku's image soon faded from view as the blue screen went blank with a fizzle of static.

Nooj sighed. "Well, at least we won't have to be the only ones to suffer under Rikku's excitement."

"It won't be that bad, well, besides the obvious. And I suppose Yuna could use the company." Paine emerged from the closet, throwing two duffel bags on the bed. "I suppose we better get packing."

An aerial view would afford one a most spectacular view of the city of Bevelle, the crown jewel of Spira. Elegant, extravagantly decorated buildings with tall spires intermixed with luxurious abodes spread out from the epicenter of the grand metropolis that lie beyond Macalania Woods. In the heart of the city stood the most lavish building of all, the Palace of St. Bevelle, waterfalls cascading over its large balconies, a glittering spire stretching towards the sky. The uppermost towers of the large temple, the headquarters of the New Yevon party, held the living and working quarters of a certain Praetor Baralai. If one were to peek in the large ceiling-to-floor windows of the office, they would get the impression of a slightly unkempt young man hunched over piles of papers, diligently going about his tasks as, essentially, the President of Spira.

But if one were to take a closer look, they would see that paperwork was the last thing from Baralai's mind. Instead, all his attention was focused on an elaborate doodle that, if the priests ever got a hold of, would claim the young Praetor used hallucinogens and call for his resignation immediately. Lately it seemed all the proposals scattered around his desk were the same petty affairs day after day, just applied differently. A parents' group protesting an upcoming rock concert, or the nuns calling for an overhaul of their stuffy wardrobe. Some days he chose not to leaf through the folders at all, preferring rather to lose his mind to things such as the drawing in front of him. It was very uncharacteristic of his nature to be so unfocused; since Shuyin had possessed him the previous year, he was prone to such mind-wandering, as if the invading force had permanently diluted his awareness.

There was a soft knocking at the door. Baralai stuffed the sketch under a pile of papers, trying to give the impression that he was doing legitimate work. "Come in," he uttered hoarsely, clearing his throat from hours of silence.

The door cracked open as a meek young girl of about fifteen squeezed her way in. Baralai recognized her as Sophie, the nun that had been assigned as his maid. The older priests had insisted that someone look after the Praetor, even though he was already coddled to the point of suffocation. Baralai had insisted that this wasn't necessary, but the issue was pressed on him until he finally relented. The girl had been in his services for the last couple weeks or so. She was painfully shy, always looking at some distant spot on the wall or rug, never meeting Baralai's eyes directly.

Baralai sighed, a bit of relief washed over him at the sight of the girl. "Oh, Sophie it's just you."

"I came to ask if...the Praetor required any refreshment..." her tiny voice trailed off, as she seemed fascinated by one of the ancient runes embroidered on the center of the carpet.

Baralai thought for a moment. "Now that you mention it, a glass of wine would be wonderful."

The young nun bowed before scurrying out of the room. The sounds of glass and metal clattering could be heard from the other room as she prepared a tray to bring back in the room. She returned, carrying the serving dish with a glass and a bottle of red wine on it, appearing to struggle to keep everything from falling off. Baralai got up from his desk and politely took the large tray from Sophie, setting it down on a table in front of a leather couch. She blushed furiously, his hand accidentally grazing hers as he took the tray from her.

"I think I can handle it from here," he said gently, smiling. Sophie stared at the wine bottle for a moment, before snapping out of her thoughts, quickly bowing once again before practically running from the office.

__

Peculiar girl... Baralai thought as he picked up the already opened bottle of wine, preparing to pour himself a much-needed glass. _She's probably just nervous._

He was interrupted by a faint beeping coming from the corner of his desk. Baralai stared at the origin of the sound for a minute, before realization dawned. Still holding the bottle, he started pushing papers around on his desk with his free hand, attempting to unearth the buried commsphere. Finally the blue dome came into view, and, not thinking about his appearance beforehand, answered the hailing.

Rikku's smiling face was soon somewhat visible within the dusty sphere; obviously the device hadn't gotten much use lately. Baralai tried to brush the dust off hastily before addressing the blonde with a slight nod of his head. "Hello Rikku. How are you?"

Rikku's expression, however, was now one of absolute shock. "What?" Baralai asked, now feeling extremely self-conscious.

Rikku took in Baralai's unkempt hair, free from the confines of the blue headband he usually wore, his wrinkled clothes, and the wine bottle grasped in his hand. "Maybe this is a bad time..." she trailed off.

"Oh! No, I apologize, wait just a minute..." he returned to the couch, setting the wine bottle on the table. He ran his hands through his hair a few times in an attempt to tame it, before returning to his desk. "Is this satisfactory?" He asked Rikku, who was now impatiently tapping her fingers on some unseen surface.

"Ahh!" Rikku jumped a bit, as if the sound of his voice broke her from some deep reverie. She looked in the commsphere again, a wave of relief washing over her. "Yeah, much better!"

"So, to what do I owe this call?" Baralai inquired.

"Oh, yeah! So, me, Gippal, Nooj, and Paine, we're all going to Besaid to visit Yunie! Wanna come with?"

The question caught him off guard. Go and visit Yuna? They weren't exactly friends. Not that he wouldn't want to see the beautiful ex-Summoner again, but he wasn't so sure she would want to see him after all that had unfolded a year earlier. They hadn't exactly gotten off on the right foot, and it didn't help much that soon after he was taken over by the spirit of a man that looked hauntingly like her dead lover. Talk about a bad first impression.

He glanced over at the mounds of paperwork and folders on his desk, searching for an excuse. "I don't know Rikku, I've got a lot of work to do here-"

Rikku cut him off at that. "Well then you could use a vacation! Gippal and Nooj are both taking time off, so you can too! C'mon, 'Lai, whaddya say?" She looked up at him with an encouraging grin. One that, strangely, Baralai couldn't refuse.

"You're right, I suppose Bevelle could do without me for a couple days."

"Great, I'll take that as a yes! We'll be there tomorrow afternoon to pick you up, around 2-ish!"

"That's really not necessary, I can take my own airship there..."

"Oh don't be silly. We're all going together!" She didn't give him much time to argue, as she said her goodbyes and disappeared from view.

Baralai stood staring at the commsphere for a minute or so, trying to absorb what he had just agreed to. He soon decided that contemplation of this sort was better done on the couch, with a glass of wine in his hand. So he returned to the warm leather of the chaise, and finally poured himself a glass of the scarlet liquid. Leaning back on the couch he swirled the glass a little before taking a sip of the bitter alcohol, feeling himself relax almost instantly. As he slowly nursed the drink, his mind wandered back to the previous year, at the time he had first met Lady Yuna face to face...

"So, you're the chairman's son?" Rikku asked curiously.

"Ah. As it happens, the chairman has recently resigned. As did his son, the praetor." Baralai admitted. He continued to explain the situation. "They were trying to take too much power; we had to ask them to leave. Now the younger members run the party—by mutual consensus, of course."

Relief washed over Yuna's face. "I'm sorry to hear that," she replied with a smile.

"So you see, Lady Yuna…" Baralai smiled as well, having overheard the girls' conversation shortly before his entrance.

"It is not I that was meant to marry the High Summoner."

The last line of the reverie still echoing through his head, Baralai silently decided that there was nothing he'd like more than to have another opportunity to meet with Lady Yuna, this time on a more personal basis. Tipping his wine glass back, he downed the rest of the drink in one gulp, and began to prepare for his journey the next day.


	4. Chapter Three

A/N: This chapter came up so quick because I already had it written in rough-draft form months ago. I don't write in a strictly linear manner, I write scenes as inspiration hits, then fill in the spaces later. So see, I do have a method to my madness.

So we finally check up on Yuna. Kinda short chapter, wanted to save the arrival scene for it's own chapter. Enjoy! And a Happy Yule, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and New Year (and Birthday, if it applies OO;;) to everyone!

Everything You Want

By: Sirea

Chapter Three

Meanwhile, in the small island village of Besaid, the High Summoner Yuna, former sphere hunter, twice responsible for the salvation of Spira, sat folding laundry in her new hut. After Wakka and Lulu had had their son, Vidina, they understandably needed a little more room in their house. So the Aurochs, Besaid's blitzball team, had all pitched in and built Yuna a new home in a private corner of the village, behind the cloth-weavers' hut. Having lived alone for almost eight months now, she was getting used to mundane tasks such as washing clothes and cooking her own meals, and quite honestly, she preferred it this way. Everyone had always doted on her, taking care of all her needs. She didn't even know how to take care of herself at first, but now she was doing quite well. Although, being alone most of the time made her think about things she'd rather not.

Him...

When she last saw him on the Farplane, she knew it had only been a ghost, a shadow. But she had still held out some hope that maybe, by some miracle of the fayth he would come back to her. She had worked too hard for two years, just to see his image for a few moments. Those moments were much too short.

Around others, she managed to put on a happy front most of the time, just like she had done so many times on the Celsius, and during her pilgrimage as well. The only person who really knew what was bubbling below the surface was Lulu, with whom she had had many conversations with late into the night after Vidina had gone to sleep. Lulu was very patient with her, but Yuna could tell what she was thinking: 'Let go.' Lulu had had the strength to let go of Chappu and start a new life with Wakka, after all. But Yuna wouldn't let go, she couldn't. He had been her first love, her first kiss, was she just supposed to easily cast him aside like he was nothing to her?

Yuna shook herself out of her sad reflection, folding the tunic that had been clutched in her hands. She hummed a spontaneous tune as she put away her folded laundry and started making her bed, when her commsphere began beeping, indicating that someone was trying to contact her. It was wonderful of Shinra to make them all personal commspheres with their own private bandwidths. That way they could all keep in contact even when they were far apart. She clicked it on, and instantly recognized her Al Bhed cousin, Rikku. Rikku was always calling her to update her on life at Djose, whether she'd just had a fight with Gippal, or if Brother had done something stupid. Rikku seemed more upbeat than usual; she jumped up and down excitedly when she saw Yuna appear in the commsphere.

"Yunie, guess what?"

"Uhm...Brother fell off the airship and got eaten by a whale?"

"Noooo, even better! We're coming to visit you! Not just me and Gippal, but Nooj, Paine, and Baralai too! We'll all be there tomorrow afternoon!"

Yuna gasped. "You're kidding!"

"Abso-posi-not!"

"How did you get them all away from their jobs?"

"Well, I just bugged Gippal to death, and used my natural charm to sway the others. Nah, just kidding! They said it's no biggie. They all have people they can put in their places for a couple days."

"Wow, Rikku, that'd be so wonderful of you guys to visit. I've been...doing a lot of thinking lately. I could use some time with friends."

"Well, don't worry, we'll be there lickety-split! Gotta go Yunie, see ya tomorrow!" The commsphere made it's power-down noise, and the picture faded to gray.

Yuna fell back onto her bed, smiling. Just when she thought they had forgotten about her. It was so like Rikku to be this spontaneous. She couldn't wait to see her and Paine again. Gippal too, who was like a brother to her, and Nooj, although they had never really gotten that close.

Her smile faded however as the face of the Praetor of New Yevon flashed across her mind's eye. Baralai. Their first meeting had been uneasy, to say the least. He had always been polite enough, even when they were forced to fight him. Yuna thought back to the year before, to more tumultuous times, deep within Bevelle...

Baralai cried out as he lunged forward, managing to slice a deep gash along Rikku's forearm with his double-edged staff. He was getting weaker, desperation in his eyes. As a black mage, Yuna cast one final Firaga spell, finishing him off. Baralai slumped to the ground, defeated. Alchemist Paine threw one more Mega-potion, healing Rikku's cut as well as the rest of the party's injuries, before the three girls reverted to their normal dress. Paine turned to them, motioning towards the path ahead.

"Sorry, I'm going ahead." She said simply.

Yuna nodded. "You have your reasons."

"Fill us in later, 'kay?" Rikku piped in.

Paine began to walk down the echoing corridor. "Much later." she called over her shoulder.

Rikku ran down the hall after her. "Wait up!"

Yuna hung back for a few moments, deep in thought. However, a scuffling noise to her right startled her out of her thoughts. Drawing her gun, she turned in the direction of the sound expecting a fiend, but quickly lowered the weapon. Baralai had made his way over to the wall, slouched against it in a half-sitting position. His face was twisted in pain, blood running from a fresh cut on his tanned cheek. Most of his hair had fallen out of his headband, falling down into his visage in disarray. He clutched some unknown injury on his side, his other arm outstretched from his body, seeming numb from an oozing burn caused by Yuna's fire spell. Blood ran down the appendage and came out his sleeve, his hand resting palm-up in a small pool of sanguineous fluid.

Yuna was shocked at how terrible he looked. Fighting fiends was one thing, seeing humans bloodied and broken by her hand made her feel sick to her stomach that she was capable of such things. Baralai managed to open his eyes, seeing the High Summoner standing over him. He opened his mouth to speak, but his face contorted yet again as a new wave of pain racked his broken body. He was still after this, his features relaxed; apparently the last surge of pain had knocked him unconscious.

Yuna took the party's only elixir out of her pouch, and wordlessly dropped it into Baralai's outstretched hand. She then followed her comrades down the hall to Vegnagun's chamber.

Yuna smiled to herself. The others never did figure out where that elixir had gone.

Getting up from her bed, Yuna decided that she had better go make arrangements with the innkeeper for her friends' stay. She exited her hut, going about preparations for the following day. Little did she know that this seemingly innocent visit would mark a turning point in her life, one that she wasn't quite sure she was ready to take.


	5. Chapter Four

A/N: Ack! I know, another chapter, finally! It has been a while, considering I was wishing everyone a Merry Christmas in the last chapter O.O

Went back through the previous chapters and tweaked some things, not very noticeable differences except for the fact that I translated all the Al Bhed text from the first chapter. I was being hard-headed and expected people to translate it on their own, but as **The RyRy** pointed out, most people will probably just skip the Al Bhed. And all the best parts are in Al Bhed ;)

**Everything You Want**

**By: Sirea**

**Chapter Four**

Yuna woke up late the next morning, sounds from the bustling village wafting through the cloth panels draped across her doorway. She boiled some water, making her daily cup of green tea. Yuna gazed out her door, leaning in the entranceway as she sipped her beverage, thinking about the events this day would bring. Sighing deeply, she placed her empty mug in the wash bin and began getting ready for her friends' arrival. Dressing in her normal Gunner outfit, she tidied up the hut in nervous anticipation, fluffing pillows that already had been fluffed, readjusting wall hangings that were already straight. Suddenly, a familiar roar filled the air, marking the arrival of the Celsius.

The bright crimson airship swooped low over the town, causing the small huts to shake slightly as people ducked their heads at the sound of the roaring engine. Children squealed in delight, pointing and clapping their hands. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked. Yuna emerged from her home to see the ship preparing to land in the large clearing north of town. She smiled; Brother always had to make a grand entrance.

She pushed her way through the small throngs of laughing children and disapproving adults, racing up the hill towards the landing site. The hatch hissed open, and she immediately recognized the small blonde jumping off the half-opened ramp.

Yuna caught her cousin in mid-leap and they embraced, jumping up and down and giggling like five-year-olds. "It's good to see you again, Rikku!"

"Yunie, I missed you so much! I'm so sorry we didn't come to visit sooner."

"Oh, it's fine, I understand how busy everyone is." They pulled apart, as Yuna noticed Gippal now standing right behind Rikku, flashing his broad, cocky smile at the High Summoner. Remembering their first meeting, she eyed him suspiciously.

"Oh, c'mon Yuna. You should know me better than that by now." He hugged her as he would a sister, tousling her hair a little when their embrace ended. "How ya been? How's the simple life treatin' ya?"

She wanted to tell him how she was really feeling, that she thought about her lost love everyday. However, all she did was smile. "It's been...nice. Nice and quiet, just the break I needed."

Behind him, a familiar metallic tapping indicated the arrival of the Youth League mevyn. Gippal stepped aside, revealing Paine and Nooj making their way down the hatch ramp.

Yuan and Paine regarded each other for a few moments, before Paine finally smiled, wrapping her arms around Yuna's shoulders. Yuna returned the hug. "It's good to see you doing well," Paine said as they stepped apart.

Once again Yuna was forced to hide her true feelings. She glanced at Nooj, who simply nodded his head at her.

"How's everything at the Youth League?" Yuna inquired.

Nooj smirked. "We're working them like dogs."

"Someone's got to keep them in line," Paine added. "But morale's never been higher."

"That's wonderful to hear," Yuna said. Out of the corner of her eye she caught movement, and a glimpse of green fabric. She looked over Paine's shoulder, and her smile faded as she noticed the man who had just joined the group.

Baralai noticed with slight dismay that Yuna's smile had faded somewhat upon seeing him. Nevertheless, he didn't falter. "Lady Yuna. We meet again," he said as he bowed deeply. Paine and Nooj joined Rikku and Gippal further down the slope, giving the two their space. This was obviously a delicate meeting for both of them.

Yuna felt like calling for her friends to not abandon her. _Be strong. It's just Baralai._ She reasoned with herself. She turned back to face the Praetor, and had to keep herself from crying out in shock. It was not Baralai who stood there before her. He had transformed; his white hair was now blonde, the Bevellian robes replaced by ancient Zanarkandian dress. Bright aqua eyes stared down at her, rattling her to her soul.

Shuyin. Yuna blinked. No...not Shuyin. The blonde before her transformed ever so slightly, the intense eyes deepening to a duller bluish-gray. His clothes changed yet again, to those of an ancient blitzer. Yuna could feel the tears forming in her eyes and she stared at the image of her lost love. His lips parted to speak.

"Lady Yuna?" came the familiar voice. "Are you alright?"

Yuna blinked again, and the blonde's image slowly faded from view, replaced by the face of a very concerned-looking Praetor.

"Lady Yuna?" Baralai asked again, as the focus came back into Yuna's eyes. "You look as if you've seen a ghost." He reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes, but Yuna shied away from his touch, still spooked by the apparition a few moments before.

"I'm fine," Yuna lied, trying to be discreet about wiping her eyes dry, so her other friends wouldn't notice anything was wrong. She fought so hard to keep up this facade, yet the moment she saw Baralai it crumbled away.

Baralai attempted conversation once again. "Have...you been well, milady?" He asked haltingly, as if the tiniest wrongdoing on his part would set Yuna off again.

Yuna figured there was no point in hiding the truth any more. "I've...been thinking a lot lately. Seeing you...reminded me of someone I haven't seen in a long time..."

_Of course..._ Baralai thought. He could have slapped himself. So the stories had been true about High Summoner Yuna falling in love with one of her guardians, one who claimed to be from Zanarkand, no less. He couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Well, I am sorry for your loss and the grief it has caused you, Lady Yuna."

Yuna smiled. _Why does he have to be so polite, so charming all the time?_ "Thank you for your kind words, Baralai," she said, genuinely happy that he cared how she was feeling.

There was a noise behind them, and sounds of grunting and struggling. They both turned to see a rather comical sight. Brother was making his way down the ramp, laden down with luggage. The luggage all matched, white with pink trim and little yellow chocobos. On one shoulder was a large suitcase. On the other was a smaller, duffle-style bag. In his left hand, he pulled a smaller suitcase on wheels, and in his right hand was the handle to an enormous trunk, the other end which was dragging behind him, bumping on the textured surface of the exit ramp. And lastly, in his teeth he had the strap to a small carry-on bag.

Yuna covered her mouth to hide her smile. "What's that?" She asked innocently, having a good idea who the owner of the luggage was.

Brother pushed past them, obviously disgruntled, marching as best he could down the hill to Rikku. Once he reached her, he mumbled something, unintelligible because of the strap between his teeth.

Gippal made a face. "Come again?"

Brother, finally having had enough, spit the bag out of his mouth, and threw down the rest of the luggage. "Her Royal Highness' matched luggage!" He shouted angrily in Al Bhed, glowering at Rikku.

"What IS all this crap anyway?!" He threw open the large trunk, and his face shifted from one of frustration to one of pure rage. He slowly picked up what appeared to be a large, motorized crochet hook.

"I thought I told you to only bring what you need to survive!" He screamed, waving the object in the air maniacally.

Rikku stomped up to Brother, snatching the contraption away from him before he broke it in two. "It's my industrial strength hair beader-" Her face suddenly contorted to rage, "-AND I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT!!!"

Taking this distraction as an opportunity to free herself from her uncomfortable situation, Yuna ran down the hill and placed herself between Brother and Rikku, finding it hard to keep in her laughter now that she was in the middle of the confrontation. The events from before with Baralai slowly faded from her mind as she tried to sweet-talk Brother out of skewering Rikku with the hair-beading machina, which of course, worked. Soon, Yuna and her guests were walking down the hill towards Besaid, each carrying a piece or two of Rikku's matched luggage, laughing and beginning the process of catching up with each other's lives.

Baralai, however, hung back, his eyes still transfixed on Yuna as she walked away from him. It amazed him how she could go from almost having a nervous breakdown right in front of him, to smiling and joking around as if nothing had happened. It must be the strength she gained on her pilgrimage, surrounded by supportive and caring friends on such a physically and mentally trying journey. Baralai found himself wishing that he could provide that same strength for her, instead of making her cry.

Brother was making his way back towards the airship when he noticed the praetor, off to the side, staring intently at Yuna. Intense jealousy welled up inside of him as he approached Baralai, half tapping, half shoving him in the shoulder, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"You better not be staring at Yuna's back, pretty boy," Brother sneered in his native tongue, his eyes squinting menacingly.

"I wasn't...I mean I was just-" Baralai struggled for a response under the glare of the intimidating Al Bhed. The heavily tattooed man, however, cut him off with a snort as he stomped back up the hatch ramp, mumbling and gesticulating to himself as it hissed closed behind him.


	6. Chapter Five

**A/N:** Yes, yes, I know it's been a long time. But I'm back with a new chapter! Many, many thanks to **Parron**, author of _Of Sun,_ another great Yunalai fic (plug plug), for beta-reading :) I apologize for any spacing errors, it seems the FF(dot)net editor still has a few bugs.

**Everything You Want**

**By: Sirea**

**Chapter Five**

Later that night, the six friends sat around the bonfire in the center of the village, their stomachs full from the huge banquet the village had held in their honor. The villagers had slowly trickled off into their homes, the elderly and families with small children first, followed by the older teenagers and children-less adults. Wakka and Lulu had sat with them for a while as well. But as the night waned little Vidina became more and more cranky until he finally nodded off in his father's lap, the family then deciding to turn in for the night. Gippal and Rikku were sitting together, Rikku leaning against Gippal's chest, his arms hanging lazily over her shoulders. Paine and Nooj sat next to them, Paine leaning into Nooj's shoulder, the long-haired man's good arm around her shoulder. Baralai sat on the other side of Paine and Nooj, quietly taking in the conversation and laughing occasionally at one of Gippal's jokes or Rikku's retorts. Every once in a while he would take a sideways glance at Yuna, but it always seemed to be when she was doing the same to him. Then they would both glance away quickly, leaving a little awkwardness in the air between them.

Yuna began to feel a little uncomfortable with the way everyone was "paired" but her and Baralai, and it made her think of _him _and how she wished he could be here for her to cuddle with. As the other two couples began to get cozier with each other, Yuna quietly excused herself, deciding that she needed a little walk to clear her head.

She made her way up the steep incline away from the village, ending up near the small old ruin that, back in the days of Yevon, travelers would pray to for a safe journey. Yuna sat on the ground near the ruins where she had a good view of the village and the starry night above. Her friends looked like ants from her vantage point, the huge bonfire nothing more than a matchstick among tiny "anthills." Occasionally she could hear Gippal's loud laughter or a dog's bark pierce the silence of the night. She breathed in deeply, tipping her head back to look at the sky. Not quite as beautiful as the Zanarkand sky, but calming nonetheless. It was then she heard footsteps behind her, and noticed that there was one less "ant" around the fire.

She looked up to see Baralai standing about ten feet away, his eyebrows furrowed slightly with worry. "Is everything well, Lady Yuna?"

Yuna let herself smile a little at his concern. "I'm fine, Baralai. And please, you're among friends. Call me Yuna."

Baralai laughed softly. "I apologize. Sometimes it's hard to let go of formalities, especially in my line of work." There was an awkward pause. Baralai cleared his throat softly.

"Mind if I join you? Things were getting a little…uncomfortable in the village..."

Yuna patted the ground next to her, which Baralai took as a yes. He eased his way down to the ground, a few feet away from Yuna as not to invade her personal space, although he'd very much like to sit closer to her. Being raised by monks had instilled a strong code of chivalry in him, which most of the time was a good thing. It wasn't working so much to his advantage now, though.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes, taking in the scenery. Yuna took a deep breath. "Don't you ever get tired of everything? Being so young, but having the world on your shoulders?"

Baralai raised his eyebrow, somewhat taken aback by the bluntness of her question. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I know what it's like, having everyone depend on you. Everyone's hopes and futures resting on your every decision. I've been in the same position, and sometimes, I felt like I'd just had enough. But yet, I couldn't quit. I couldn't take off my mask and just be myself."

Baralai now understood what she was getting at. "Yes, it can be very demanding. But you have to learn to take off your mask in front of the people who care." Baralai laughed in spite of himself. "I feel like a hypocrite, saying that, because I wear a mask too."

"And because everyone depends on me, it's harder to take off that mask," Yuna continued, taking on a frustrated tone."I'm Spira's 'rock,' I'm supposed to be the strong one. I...I just feel like I can't show weakness, or pain. Or...mourn losing someone close."

"No one would blame you for showing emotion, Lady Yuna," Baralai tried to comfort her, although having known her for a relatively short time, he felt like he didn't know the whole scope of her suffering. It was like walking on eggshells. But he could also relate to her feelings of mourning. "I…also hide the pain of losing loved ones."

At the sound of those words, Yuna's head snapped in Baralai's direction, her eyes widened. "Are you serious?" Yuna had always imagined Baralai growing up sheltered and sequestered in the temples of Bevelle, never experiencing much of the real world.

All Baralai did was nod.

"I'm so sorry…you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Baralai shifted slightly to face Yuna. "Strangely, I feel like I can talk about it to you. A feeling I never had with any of them." He said, motioning towards the village.

"I guess I can take that as a compliment," Yuna replied, somewhat perplexed that he would share such an emotional memory with a relative stranger.

"That was the intent." Baralai's eyes sparkled in the starlight. Seeing Yuna's confused expression, he decided to elaborate further. "Nooj and Paine can be a bit...cold at times. Gippal, yes, he was my best friend back then, but he was a little too brash and self-absorbed to be a confidant. And I don't know Rikku well enough." Baralai sighed. "I suppose what it boils down to is that I never had a reason to bring it up with any of them. But I want you to know you have someone who understands, Lady Yuna."He had been smiling, but his expression soon changed as he began to tell his story.

_Crystal clear water, as far as the eye could see. The young, white-haired boy squealed with delight and started running towards the beach, a man, presumable the boy's father, chasing after him. A woman carrying a blanket and basket followed farther behind, slowing her pace to accommodate the smaller child next to her toddling carefully through the warm sand. She set the beach gear on the sandy shore, setting up a shady spot for her family. "What a lovely day to go to the beach," she thought to herself as she spread out a large blanket and started laying out the carefully-packed lunches, keeping a watchful eye on her younger son who was now examining shells he found buried in the sand. The woman glanced over at her husband and older child, jumping over small ocean waves, and smiled at the blessings Yevon had bestowed upon her.  
_

_Suddenly, the older boy stopped splashing in the water, pointing to something in the distance. "Dad, what's that?"_

_A huge wave was heading towards them. No, more of an enormous mountain of water. Suddenly something gray surfaced from the water. The man froze in fright for a moment, before yelling "Sin!" He grabbed his son and ran towards the rest of his family, yelling at them to run as far away from the beach as possible. The woman snatched up the younger boy, who started crying because he'd dropped his seashell. Other beach-goers tore past them, trying in vain to escape their deaths. But the monstrous fiend was too fast for them. The waves hit them, ripping the family apart._

Yuna gasped. It had seemed like Baralai was talking about a completely different child, one without cares or worries, one without the need to be so upright and formal all the time. Just a normal boy spending a carefree day at the beach with his family until it went horribly wrong. Once again, an image that Yuna never would have associated with Baralai's upbringing. That event must have changed him so much, suppressing that child-like persona, making him grow up so fast.

Baralai paused, seeming to still be fixated on the memory; he had focused his gaze on some far-off object. "They found me the next day, close to death. I was only seven years old at the time. My mother, my father, and my three-year-old brother had all died, along with the other people at the beach that day. I was the only survivor. After I left the hospital I went to live with the monks at St. Bevelle. I suffered from Sin's toxin for months afterwards, not remembering anything from that day, and the monks weren't exactly forthcoming with the details. But then, Shuyin…"

Yuna felt herself instinctively reaching out to Baralai, placing her hand over his. Her touch surprised him somewhat, remembering that it was only earlier that day that she had shied away from him. But he returned the gesture gratefully. Yuna realized that she had had it easy when it came to being possessed; Lenne was a more gentle presence, but Yuna couldn't imagine what it must have been like sharing a consciousness with a vengeful, hating presence such as Shuyin. It had obviously brought to light some memories that Baralai would have rather left suppressed.

"I apologize for having burdened you with my story, Lady Yuna."

"No, it's fine. It's kind of nice, in a sad way, that someone knows what I'm going through. No one else seems to understand, they tell me to get over it." Yuna shook her head. "That's not true -- I mean I know people understand. Both Wakka and Lulu lost Chappu. My uncle Cid lost his wife, and my mother, his sister. But Wakka and Lulu have each other now. Cid's got other things to focus on, like Al Bhed interests and possibly rebuilding Home. Rikku and Paine have their respective work and relationships. I don't feel like I have anything to fall back on like they do."

Baralai turned to face her, their eyes locking. Yuna suddenly felt butterflies in her chest as she gazed back into his eyes. _Surely this feeling couldn't be…?_ No, she refused to even think it.

"Lady Yuna, no one can tell you that you're ready to move on but yourself." His free hand now came to rest on her arm, and it seemed he was leaning in a little closer than before. Her subconscious was telling her that he was just trying to comfort her, but the rest of her mind was racing with thoughts. She tried to stay focused on the conversation at hand.

"I…I know, but I suppose sometimes I do feel like I'm hanging onto something that…that…" Yuna felt like she was at a breaking point. Should she run away? Keep talking about it? Let Baralai comfort her…hug her…

Kiss her?

Yuna got up suddenly. "I'm sorry, I have to go home."

Baralai scrambled to his feet. "Did I say something wrong?"

Yuna shook her head. "No, no…please believe me when I say it's not you. I just still have a lot to think through." She turned to start back towards the village.

"At least allow me to walk you back," Baralai called to her. Yuna stopped and turned around, nodding at him, genuinly appreciating the gesture. They walked down the hill silently, a couple of feet between them. When the two reentered the village, they saw that Gippal and Rikku had stood up, stretching, while Nooj and Paine were working to put out the remains of the bonfire. Yuna quickly said goodnight to her friends and ducked inside her hut, while Baralai was silent, unconsciously kicking at the dirt.

Rikku raised an eyebrow, smiling coyly. "What was that all about?" She asked Baralai.

Baralai looked up at her. He should have expected there would be some sort of inquiry upon their return, but he wasn't quite sure how he'd handle it once it occurred.

"You try to cop a feel or something?" Gippal piped in. Behind him, Nooj and Paine collectively rolled their eyes.

Baralai sighed loudly, exasperated. He quickly decided that any attempt at an explanation would be futile with their minds already in the gutter. "I'm going to bed, too." He turned towards the inn, hearing Gippal snicker behind him.


End file.
